Patna: The state unit of BJP has set a target of collecting 250 gm of used iron from farmers in each of the 8500 panchayats in Bihar for the proposed `Statue of Unity" in memory of Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel in Gujarat, a dream project of party campaign committee chief Narendra Modi.

The grassroot units have been told to collect iron tools such as sickles, hoes and hedge clippers from farmers for the purpose, state party General Secretary Suraj Nandan Mehta told.

"The small pieces of iron have to be collected essentially from farmers because Sardar Patel was considered to be a great leader of farmers hence, his statue should be build from the iron contributed by them", he said.

The collected iron tools would be handed over to the block and finally to district units for transportation to Gujarat for erection of the giant size statue of the "Iron man", the Bihar BJP General Secretary said.

Former Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi had announced the plan on July 25 at the party`s `Viswashghat (betrayal) rally` at Biharsharif, headquarters of Nalanda district.

Mehta said the exercise to collect iron objects for sending it to Gujarat would begin after party`s "Hunkar rally" on October 27 which will be addressed by Narendra Modi here.

Gujarat plans to erect the 182 metre statue, the world`s tallest one, at Sadhu Bet, an island near the Sardar Sarovar Dam.